An apology between friends That kiss of words on lips Seductive in its subtlety Longing to make things right When love’s been abandoned Tossed like so much dice A startling black on white Acquiescence of a sort Designed to mollify To knit a pattern of beauty That will stand time’s test And yet it ends in silence A span of time that stretches Uncomfortable in its breadth A living, breathing organism That says more than mere words Shocked into a startled breath An exhale chased from shadow To stand in the harsh light Judge and jury in its gaze Fresh burning in its blaze Like so much scorched earth Between acquaintances Parting opposite ways A sorrow in the turning Words poised on lips That will never speak again.